


Dear Tetsuya...

by ignite_pass_tetsuya



Series: Seirin Week 2015 [4]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Fluff, Letters, M/M, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-17
Updated: 2015-07-17
Packaged: 2018-04-09 17:28:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4357982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ignite_pass_tetsuya/pseuds/ignite_pass_tetsuya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kagami is in America visiting his dad over summer vacation, but he and Kuroko write letters back and forth to keep in touch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dear Tetsuya...

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in about an hour for the simple fact that I didn't want to fall behind on Seirin Week. I'm currently working in a research lab and have to give a presentation at our lab meeting tomorrow, so I didn't have much time to set aside for filling today's prompt. I hope to update it when I have more time, but I hope you enjoy it now as well.

I don’t know how you do it, but each and every day, you manage to surprise me. You think I’d be over it by now, right? That at some point, I would have to stop being amazed by you and the impact you have on others. Hell, I thought eventually you’d stop having an impact on _me_. I thought I’d build up an immunity to your presence or something, but I was wrong. Somehow, it has an ever greater effect on me every time I see you.

I remember the day we met. I think about it often, actually, because I wasn’t exactly the nicest guy around. I was hot-headed, cocky, and I was chomping at the bit for the chance to play against someone strong. I’d gotten this idea in my head that I was unstoppable, because coming from America to Japan surely wouldn’t give me enough of a challenge. Damn, was I wrong. But meeting you, I didn’t know it.

You knew from the beginning that you wouldn’t beat me, but you accepted my challenge for a one-on-one anyway. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I kept thinking, “Who the hell does this kid think he is? He doesn’t stand a chance.” And then I told you to quit basketball.

Thank you for _not_ listening to me.

From that point on, you started to prove yourself to everyone. You told me that night that you’d be my shadow. And, I mean, what the hell? I didn’t exactly think you were crazy, but I didn’t have any idea what all that lingo had to do with basketball. I was just there to play; I didn’t care much about the details.

Wake up. Eat. Play basketball. Sleep. Repeat.

It was a routine I’d followed for years of my life. It was simple. I didn’t need someone coming in trying to complicate things with all this talk of “light and shadow”. But that was the beginning, before I knew any better. Before I knew how much I counted on you and relied on you. There were times I got a little nervous, because what if I didn’t have you? Would I be able to hold my own out there without you? I mean, I knew I could if the situation demanded it, but I realized just as quickly that I didn’t _want_ to be on the court without you. I didn’t wanna know what it would feel like. Because as you said that night we met, the stronger the light, the darker the shadow, which in turn makes the white of the light stand out. We always fed off each other, making each other stronger and doing our part to set the team up for success. It was a system we had established that I had no desire to break.

I think about certain games a lot, but I’m sure you do, too. I think about our games against Aomine the most. All I can think about is the look on your face after we lost to him. It broke me, you know? It hurt to see the pain in your eyes since you usually don’t let your emotions show. It hurt more knowing I could’ve prevented it, if I had been stronger. If only I’d pushed a little harder, done a little more, been a little better… I could’ve stopped all of that. But I sure as hell wasn’t going to let it happen again.

Okay, so I told myself that, but I didn’t completely keep my promise. Sorry about that. He got inside your head during our rematch, but it wasn’t really your fault. I hope you realize that. He shouldn’t have said and done what he did. He knew it would affect you, being your former light and all. He was using your emotions over the past to break down walls, and it was an underhanded trick. But man… I finally snapped when I realized he’d made you cry.

I think that was the first moment I realized that my feelings for you were stronger that just a friend. I mean, I don’t think I would’ve reacted that strongly to seeing anyone else like that. I would’ve been pissed, sure, but I wouldn’t have entered the Zone. It was something about _you_. You were the one who trusted me wholeheartedly when you hardly knew me, even when I basically acted like a dick. You were the one who lent me your strength when I needed it. And you were the one who had completely unwavering faith in me, no matter how hopeless the situation looked. I guess I thought that since you had always done these things for me, I needed to repay you somehow. It just so happened to start with proving my light wasn’t as dim as he thought, yeah? Thanks for that.

I think about our game against Yosen a lot too, but I’m sure that’s a given. It was really hard to go up against Tatsuya, knowing what was at stake. I never wanted it to come to that. He was the one to take me in first, you know? He taught me almost everything I know about basketball. It was our way of bonding, so I never imagined it would try to tear us apart when we got older. It didn’t, thankfully, but that’s got a lot to do with you. I told you to throw my ring away, but you read between the lines. I should’ve known. But maybe that’s why I subconsciously trusted it to you in the first place, because I knew you wouldn’t do it. I don’t really know. But that’s what I’m gonna go with.

And don’t ask me _why_ or _how_ it happened, but somehow I became friends with all of the Generation of Miracles because of you. They’re awesome rivals to have, and I’m really glad I came back to Japan and got to meet them. I can’t believe I just said that… But it’s true. I mean, that’s what every player wants, right? To be able to go all-out against an opponent that matches you skill-for-skill? It’s such a rush… I don’t know how to describe it. It’s like… Surfing, I guess. A little bit. You feel free, like you’re on top of the world. You’ve got wind running through your hair and you just feel _alive_. It’s surreal, but you always wanna feel that way after you’ve felt it once. I don’t know if I’m making much sense, but I hope you can at least kinda understand. You’re smart, so I’m sure you get the idea.

I can’t wait to be back home. When I get back, how about we have a day out? We can go to Maji Burger to get you a shake, and then we can head to the basketball court and play a little one-on-one, if that’s okay? Let me know what you think. After that, we can go sit on the swing at the playground nearby. We haven’t been to “our” court in a while, but I know you remember it. It’s hard to forget the place where you had your first kiss.

I miss you, Tetsuya. The last two weeks have been nice here in America, and it’s great getting to catch up with my dad a little bit. But it’s not home anymore. It never is when you’re not around. I hope you’re doing well, and that you’re eating enough food without me there for make it for you. But you’ll be fine. I hope I can say the same for myself. Just two more weeks.

I love you. Wait for me. I’ll see you soon.

 

Love,

Taiga


End file.
